Conventional camera units, such as that disclosed in DE 10 2013 018 022, generally include a camera, which in a position of rest, is concealed in a receiving space in the interior of the vehicle behind a closure element that lies in a viewing direction of the camera. In order to reach an operating position, wherein the closure element no longer impairs the field of vision of the camera, the camera and closure element have to first move in a same direction, perpendicularly to the outer skin of the vehicle, until the camera is located in front of the outer skin an that the camera can be pivoted downwards for imaging the road surface immediately behind the vehicle in a field of vision for the camera. The parallel movement of the camera and closure element requires a large installation depth of the camera unit on the vehicle. Moreover, the combination of translation and tilting movement of the camera further complicates a guiding mechanism.
The movement of camera and closure element is driven via an eccentric, the rotary movement freedom of which is restricted by a housing guiding the translation of the closure element. In order to bring the camera unit from the operating position into the first position, the eccentric has to rotate in a direction other than during the shifting from the first position into the operating position.